Greenfield Projects

Create new projects from scratch with ClaudeKit’s AI-powered development workflow. Transform ideas into production-ready applications quickly with intelligent agents.

Installation

1. Install ClaudeKit CLI

npm i -g claudekit-cli@latest

Quick Start

Method 1: Bootstrap New Project

# Initialize project with ClaudeKit Engineer kit
ck init --kit engineer --dir /path/to/project

Options:

  • --kit engineer: Installs ClaudeKit Engineer configuration
  • --dir: Target directory for the project

Method 2: Manual Setup

# Create directory
mkdir my-awesome-project
cd my-awesome-project

# Initialize git (optional but recommended)
git init

# Start Claude Code
claude

Bootstrap Your Idea

The Bootstrap Command

/bootstrap <description-of-your-idea>

This is the most powerful command for greenfield projects. It:

  1. Asks clarifying questions for context
  2. Provides detailed implementation plan (review carefully!)
  3. After approval, starts implementing
  4. Writes tests automatically
  5. Performs code reviews
  6. Creates initial specs and roadmap
  7. Provides summary report

No need to run /docs:init - specs are created automatically during bootstrap.

Example: Simple Project

/bootstrap A CLI tool that converts markdown files to PDF with custom styling

CC will ask:

  • Target platforms? (Node.js, Deno, Bun?)
  • PDF library preference? (pdfkit, puppeteer, weasyprint?)
  • Custom styling method? (CSS, theme files?)
  • Distribution method? (npm, binary, both?)

Example: Web Application

/bootstrap A real-time collaborative todo app with team workspaces and permissions

CC will ask:

  • Frontend framework? (React, Vue, Svelte?)
  • Backend? (Node.js, Python, Go?)
  • Database? (PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Supabase?)
  • Real-time solution? (WebSocket, Server-Sent Events?)
  • Authentication? (OAuth, email/password, magic link?)

Example: Discord Bot

/bootstrap A Discord Bot that researches, analyzes and sends report of DJI stock market at 7am every day

CC will ask:

  • Stock data source? (API preference?)
  • Analysis type? (Technical, fundamental, both?)
  • Report format? (Embed, text, charts?)
  • Time zone for scheduling?
  • Storage for historical data?

Autonomous Mode (Use with Caution!)

/bootstrap:auto <your-idea>

Runs full autonomous mode without plan review. CC will:

  • Make all technical decisions
  • Implement entire project
  • Run tests and fix issues
  • Generate documentation

Recommendation: Only use for:

  • Simple, well-defined projects
  • Prototypes and experiments
  • Non-critical applications

Always review generated code before production use.

After Bootstrap

Project Structure

ClaudeKit creates standard project structure:

my-project/
├── .claude/           # ClaudeKit configuration
├── docs/              # Generated documentation
│   ├── project-overview-pdr.md
│   ├── system-architecture.md
│   └── roadmap.md
├── src/               # Source code
├── tests/             # Test files
├── package.json       # Dependencies
└── README.md          # Project readme

Continue Development

Use all ClaudeKit commands for further development:

Add New Features

/cook Add user authentication with email verification

Fix Issues

/fix:fast Button click handler not responding on mobile
/fix:hard Complex state management bug in checkout flow

Plan Enhancements

/plan Add payment processing with Stripe

Run Tests

/test

Common Project Types

Web API Server

/bootstrap REST API for e-commerce platform with products, cart, orders, and payments

Typical questions:

  • Framework: Express, Fastify, Nest.js?
  • Database: PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB?
  • Authentication: JWT, session-based?
  • Payment provider: Stripe, PayPal?
  • Hosting: Vercel, AWS, Railway?

Full-Stack Application

/bootstrap Full-stack task management app with kanban boards, time tracking, and team collaboration

Typical questions:

  • Frontend: Next.js, React + Vite, Remix?
  • State management: Redux, Zustand, Context?
  • Database: Supabase, PlanetScale, MongoDB?
  • Real-time: Socket.io, Supabase Realtime?
  • File storage: S3, Cloudflare R2?

Chrome Extension

/bootstrap Chrome extension that summarizes web articles and saves highlights to Notion

Typical questions:

  • Manifest version: V2 or V3?
  • AI service: OpenAI, Anthropic, local?
  • Notion integration: Official API?
  • Storage: Chrome storage, cloud sync?

Mobile App Backend

/bootstrap Backend API for mobile fitness app with workout tracking, social features, and achievements

Typical questions:

  • Framework: Express, FastAPI, Rails?
  • Database: PostgreSQL, MongoDB?
  • File uploads: S3, Cloudflare R2?
  • Push notifications: FCM, OneSignal?
  • Analytics: Mixpanel, PostHog?

Advanced Workflows

Iterative Development

# 1. Start with MVP
/bootstrap Minimal viable product for habit tracking app

# 2. After MVP completion, add features
/cook Add social sharing features
/cook Add streak tracking and notifications
/cook Add analytics dashboard

# 3. Optimize and refine
/fix:hard Performance issues with large datasets
/plan Add premium features with subscription

Multi-Service Architecture

# 1. Bootstrap main API
/bootstrap Main API service for social media platform

# 2. Plan microservices
/plan Add separate auth service
/plan Add media processing service
/plan Add notification service

# 3. Implement services separately
/code auth-service-plan.md
/code media-service-plan.md
/code notification-service-plan.md

Documentation-Driven Development

# 1. Create detailed plan first
/plan Complete SaaS platform with multi-tenancy, billing, and admin dashboard

# 2. Review and refine plan
# Edit the generated plan markdown

# 3. Implement in phases
/code plan.md --phase 1
/test
/code plan.md --phase 2
/test

Project Configuration

Environment Setup

After bootstrap, configure environments:

# Development
/config Create development environment configuration

# Production
/config Create production environment configuration

# Testing
/config Create testing environment configuration

Deployment

# Plan deployment
/plan Deploy to Vercel with CI/CD

# Implement deployment
/code deployment-plan.md

# Or use specific integration
/integrate vercel
/integrate railway
/integrate fly.io

Best Practices

1. Clear Description

Good:

/bootstrap Real-time chat application with rooms, direct messages, file sharing, and presence indicators. Target 1000 concurrent users.

Bad:

/bootstrap Chat app

2. Answer Questions Thoroughly

Provide detailed answers to CC’s questions. Better context = better implementation.

3. Review Plans Carefully

IMPORTANT: Always review implementation plans before approval. Check:

  • Architecture decisions
  • Technology choices
  • Security considerations
  • Scalability approach
  • Testing strategy

4. Start Small, Iterate

Begin with core functionality, then expand:

# Phase 1: Core MVP
/bootstrap Basic blogging platform with posts and comments

# Phase 2: Enhancements
/cook Add rich text editor
/cook Add image uploads
/cook Add user profiles

# Phase 3: Advanced Features
/cook Add search functionality
/cook Add social sharing

5. Use Version Control

# After bootstrap
git add .
git commit -m "Initial project setup via ClaudeKit bootstrap"

# After each feature
/git:cp

Troubleshooting

Bootstrap Stalls or Fails

# Stop and restart with more specific description
/bootstrap [more detailed description with tech stack preferences]

Generated Code Has Issues

# Fix specific issues
/fix:hard [describe the issue]

# Or run full test suite and auto-fix
/fix:test

Need to Change Approach

# Create new plan
/plan Refactor to use different architecture

# Implement changes
/code new-approach-plan.md

Examples from Real Projects

E-commerce Platform

/bootstrap E-commerce platform with:
- Product catalog with categories and search
- Shopping cart with session persistence
- Checkout with Stripe integration
- Order management for customers and admin
- Email notifications for orders
- Admin dashboard for inventory management

SaaS Analytics Tool

/bootstrap SaaS analytics dashboard with:
- Multi-tenant architecture with workspaces
- Real-time data ingestion API
- Custom dashboard builder with drag-and-drop
- SQL query builder for custom reports
- Role-based access control
- Subscription billing with Stripe

Content Management System

/bootstrap Headless CMS with:
- Flexible content modeling with custom types
- Rich text editor with markdown support
- Media library with image optimization
- GraphQL and REST APIs
- Webhook support for publishing events
- Multi-environment content staging

Next Steps

After bootstrapping your project:

  1. Continuous Development: Use /cook for new features
  2. Testing: Regular /test runs
  3. Documentation: Keep /docs:update current
  4. Deployment: Set up CI/CD with /plan ci
  5. Team Collaboration: Share .claude/ configuration

Resources

Ready to build? Start with /bootstrap and let AI agents handle the heavy lifting. Remember to review plans carefully before approval!

Need help? Visit GitHub Discussions